Anacker's Opinion
Jarrett's Opinion
Being the largest bat on earth as well as a vital species to the Philippines natural environment, the golden-capped fruit bat is in tremendous need to be saved from extinction (BatWorlds, 2013). This incredibly majestic bat maintains the magnificent forests and vegetation that makes the Philippine Islands as beautiful as they’re known. Without the golden-capped fruit bat, the Philippine Island’s ecosystem would crumble into a much more barren and unhealthy forest, which would widely affect its’ other inhabitants as well as the overall environment. Not only does the golden-capped fruit bat contribute to the beauty and health of the Philippine’s forests, but it tremendously helps the economy, specifically through tourism. The golden-capped fruit bat is a species that is absolutely in need to be saved.
The golden-capped fruit bat contributes to the extravagant forests that make up the Filipino landscapes by eating a variety of the land’s fruits and spitting out the seeds. By dispersing the seeds, an abundance of new fruit plants are planted throughout the forests, resulting in a large amount of new vegetation. This consistent routine performed by the golden-capped fruit bat is what keeps the Filipino forests rich in vegetation. Vegetation that’s not only pleasing to look at, but vegetation that provides food and habitat for other species as well. Without the golden-capped fruit bat, the colorful, vibrant, and extraordinary forests that make the Philippine Islands so incredibly beautiful would be drastically different.
The golden-capped fruit bat contributes greatly to the Filipino economy through tourism. By being the world's largest bat and an incredible site to see, the golden-capped fruit bat is often regarded as a must see attraction for tourists while visiting the Philippines (BatWorlds, 2013). Although tourism can affect the bats in a negative way, disturbing their natural habitat and roosting sites, tourism does bring in a large amount of money for the Filipino economy. The extra bit of money obtained through the tourism of the golden-capped fruit bat is something that could contribute to benefiting the golden-capped fruit bat and its environment. As well as, applying it towards the goal of helping to conserve, protect, and save the golden-capped fruit bat and its environment.
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The protection of this incredibly important and majestic bat is vital, for it plays a key role in the Philippines ecosystem and economy. It provides a profitable form of tourism, while also making the environment extremely beautiful and vibrant with life and color. Imagining a world without the presence of this profound creature is heartbreaking. With the roles that the golden-capped fruit bat serves in the ecosystem and the economy, there’s no doubt that it deserves to be protected and acknowledged by the entire world. The golden-capped fruit bat is a living creature that has every right to be as well protected as possible, for it would be a tremendous tragedy if it were to be lost to extinction.
In the past 60 years, golden-capped fruit bat populations have declined by 96% (Mickleburgh, S. P., Hutson, A. M., & Racey, P. A., 1992). What, you may ask, has caused this drastic decrease in population? The answer is us. Humans are the main perpetrator for the destruction of this majestic animal’s habitat and therefore their population. We hunt them, disturb them in their sleep, and destroy the only place that they could ever call home, the Philippine old-growth forest. Because of the worldwide demand for timber, and other things such as population growth and the palm oil industry, the golden-capped fruit bat’s habitat is being destroyed at alarming rates. If the current rates continue, then there will be no old-growth forest in the Philippines by the year 2030 (Mildenstein, T. & Paguntalan, L., 2016). The golden-capped fruit bat should be entitled to their habitat and deserve to be saved.
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The golden-capped fruit bat is the largest fruit bat in the Philippines (Mickleburgh, S. P., Hutson, A. M., & Racey, P. A., 1992). Its size is fascinating and its role in the rainforest ecosystem is intrinsic. The golden-capped fruit bat loves to eat figs, and it disperses the seeds in its droppings. The role that they play in their ecosystem is vital, and rainforests just so happen to be the most biodiverse areas on our planet. Ecologically and economically, the golden-capped fruit bat is very important. The species supports tourism in the form of bat watching, plays a cultural role for Filipinos, and disperses seeds. They provide many benefits for us humans, but we are harming them in return.
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When picturing endangered animals, most people initially think of elephants and whales. These animals are cute and have always been praised in our society. There are many other endangered animals that don’t get the attention that they deserve. Bats often get a bad reputation of being scary. This fear can most likely be attributed to vampires, and our fear of these supernatural creatures. We have no right to be afraid of bats, but bats certainly have the right to be afraid of us.
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Saving this species will certainly not be easy, but I think that it is worth it. Previous and current efforts to save this bat have not been enough. There are not enough people rallying to save this species, so the government has chosen to not step up. We need more surveys of the bat populations to figure out trends. We also need to set aside preserves for these animals where humans cannot disturb them or destroy their land. This will take a lot of money and effort, but in the end, we were the ones that brought this issue upon the golden-capped fruit bat, so we are responsible for fixing it. This bat species is magnificently large, and if it went extinct, then we would lose one of the largest bats in the world. The golden-capped fruit bat needs our help and we are responsible for saving it.